


Pipe Dream

by CatNip_618



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Cannibalism, Cannibalistic Thoughts, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Gen, Horcrux Hunting, Murder, Starvation, Survival Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:28:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28333122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatNip_618/pseuds/CatNip_618
Summary: Harry is alone when his friends leave him behind after their fight during the Horcrux hunt. Eventually going mad and starving, Harry gets very, very desperate. He’ll do anything to get food, even if it’s a human being.
Kudos: 14





	Pipe Dream

**Pipe Dream**

It’d been weeks since Hermione and Ron had left him. Ron had exited the tent after their fight and Apparated away, and Harry’s heart plummeted when Hermione followed. Though, she’d been holding onto his arm when Ron had left and so maybe it wasn’t meant to happen. He’d waited for them to return but they hadn’t. He didn’t have Hermione’s purple bag with the Expansion Charm on it, she’d been holding it when they’d gone. When they didn’t return he held onto the last silver of hope until it diminished for good. As he struggled with his dying hope, he knew he needed to find food, but it was getting cold. The leaves had already fallen and there was frost on the ground most of the day. He didn’t know a thing about hunting or how to hunt with a wand. Not even a few days into the solitude, the first snow fell and it fell a lot. He remained cooped up in the tent and tried to cast heating charms, which only worked for so long. He still had some pots and pans left behind from Hermione’s purple bag and did his best to boil the water so he wouldn’t get poisoned from the bacteria inside. He did have to hold it above the pathetic little fire he’d made with a quiet Incendio.

Lately, he’d been worried about his magic. His spells had been diminishing rapidly and he was sure it was because of the decline in his health. Over the days and, eventually, weeks, Harry noticed he was getting thinner. His skin was getting more sickly and pale. His ribs were showing and so were his hips and collarbones. His joints, mainly his elbows, were getting pointy and sharp with the exposure of bone and the shrinking and seemingly decaying with slow starvation.

It was far too deep into winter to hunt for animals or proper nutrients, and Harry could only feed on the winter berries and leaves that looked edible. When the hunger pains hit him quite hard, he knew he had to resort to drastic measures. He didn’t have a way to hunt, so either he’d do something crazy to get food or he’d starve to death.

So he thought of a plan. It was the only one he could think of. But he needed to be prepared for what he was going to do. So one night, the night he was finally sick and tired of starving and feeling the pains of his body consuming itself, he packed up the tent, using his feeble magic, shrank the package that held his shelter, brandished his wand as he hid behind a group of trees, and cried, “Voldemort!”

Harry knew of the Taboo placed on his name; he’d leaned about it through the strengthening link between him and the dark wizard. It wasn’t as bad as the other visions he usually got, but he was still able to hide it from his friends.

Immediately, there were sharp _CRACKS_! of the telltale Apparating and Harry peeked past the tree trunks to find three Death Eaters and gave a grim smile. One would be enough, he thought, licking his lips hungrily. He knew he was almost mad with hunger and he was very desperate. Inhaling quietly, he raised his wand and whispered, “ _Avada_ _Kedavra_.” Putting all the desperation, hate and fear into the spell, the tip of his wand glowed poison green and hit one of the Death Eaters square in the back. The other two cried out in anger and starting firing spells that demolished the trees and nature all around. Harry quickly cast the Killing Curse at the other two men and even though his spell sputtered on both attempts, he managed to eliminate them.

A ringing silence. They were dead. By his hand. Harry, to his disgust, didn’t feel a shred of remorse. He was aware of what he had just done and why he had done it.

Since he was still in the same spot his tent was, he unpacked it, expanded it and was settled once more. It was difficult to drag the bodies since he was weak from starvation yet eventually he got all three inside. Using a Muggle blade he’d found within the tent’s content before he’d shrunk it (obviously something Hermione had forgotten), he cut open their clothes by the arms (he figured it would’ve easiest to start at the arms) and leaned back, still and quiet.

Swallowing heavily, Harry lifted the blade and, with shaking hands, began to carve.

—

Harry hadn’t been able to meet properly with his friends at the Battle. He’d seen them, dueling with the Death Eaters but he was too busy to talk because he was in his own duel. But after Voldemort was defeated, he knew it was time to explain. Harry had looked them in the eyes and they knew the trio needed to talk. They ended up in the Gryffindor boys’ dorm and Harry sat at his once abandoned dorm bed, him fiddling with his repaired wand.

“I’m so sorry, Harry,” Hermione said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah, mate.” Ron added, “and how did you make through? Hermione had her bag with us.”

Harry gulped. “Er... well. It wasn’t the greatest.” Hermione got a calculated look in her eyes and frowned. “Harry, you didn’t have any food. You went hungry.”

He nodded. “I did. I was... starving, pretty much.” He ignored Hermione’s gasp and Ron’s groan of dismay. “I boiled snow and used that as water. I fed off of berries and leaves.”

“There’s more, isn’t there?” Hermione asked softly, squeezing his hand. Harry nodded. He held his wand so tight it creaked under the pressure.

“I was so hungry.” Harry continued, his voice a whisper. “I was going mad. My stomach was eating itself. I got thinner and thinner and... then I couldn’t take it anymore. So, I...”

Harry closed his eyes. “I said Voldemort’s name and some Death Eaters came.” He didn’t dare look at the expressions on their faces. It was dead silent, but he plowed on. “I was crazy, I was insane. I was so bloody desperate. But I did it anyway. I killed them and I...” Harry turned to his friends. Their faces were very white and expressionless. He chuckled humorlessly.

“Cannibalism. I couldn’t stop shaking after my... after I... well. You know. Ate them.”

Ron gagged. He stood quickly and left the room towards the loo. Retching was heard not to soon after. Hermione was stone-faced. “You did what you needed to survive. Even that.”

“I know.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Not the best ending but I don’t do good with multi chapter stories.


End file.
